Glynn County Genealogy Records

Glynn County genealogy records reach back to 1777, making it one of the eight original counties created when Georgia became a state. The Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Brunswick maintain marriage licenses, wills, estate files, land deeds, and court records spanning nearly 250 years of family history. Glynn County includes St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island, and the area has a deep history tied to colonial plantations, the timber trade, and coastal shipping. Early land grants, estate records, and court files from the late 1700s make Glynn County a rich source for genealogy research.

Glynn County Probate Court Records

The Glynn County Probate Court is the main source for marriage and estate records in the county. Marriage licenses go back to the early 1800s. The court also holds wills, letters of administration, guardianship files, and estate inventories. These records are critical for tracing family lines along the Georgia coast.

You can visit the courthouse at 701 G Street in Brunswick to search records in person. Staff can assist with lookups. The court also accepts mail requests. Send a written request with the full name and approximate date of the record. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope and payment by check or money order. Under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-30, the Probate Court has jurisdiction over wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and marriage licenses in Glynn County.

Note: Glynn County's oldest records may have gaps due to damage or loss over the centuries, so also check the Georgia Archives for microfilm copies.

Glynn County GAGenWeb Genealogy

The Glynn County GAGenWeb page is a free volunteer-run genealogy resource. It has cemetery transcriptions, census data, family trees, and records shared by other researchers working on Glynn County family lines.

This site connects you with other people researching Glynn County families. Volunteers often post records they have found at courthouses, libraries, and archives. The coastal Georgia section is especially useful because it covers the unique history of the barrier islands and Brunswick.

Other free resources for Glynn County genealogy include FamilySearch, which has Georgia marriages from 1754 to 1960, probate records from 1742 to 1990, and death records from 1914 to 1943. The Georgia Historic Newspapers archive has over one million pages of old newspapers with obituaries and legal notices.

Glynn County Superior Court Genealogy

The Glynn County Superior Court Clerk holds land records, divorce files, and civil and criminal case records going back to 1777. Land deeds are among the most valuable genealogy sources in this county because they document property ownership along the coast, including the sea islands. Deed books show when families arrived, what land they held, and who their neighbors were.

Divorce records are another useful source. These files often list children, property, ages, and birth dates. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70, most court records in Glynn County are open to the public. You can request copies in person or by mail for a per-page fee. Colonial-era land grants and headright records for Glynn County are also available at the Georgia Archives.

Note: Glynn County was one of the original eight counties of Georgia, so its earliest records overlap with colonial and Revolutionary War era documents held at the Georgia Archives.

Vital Records for Glynn County Genealogy

Georgia started statewide vital records in 1919 under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-9. Birth and death certificates from that year forward are available from the Glynn County Health Department or the Georgia Department of Public Health. For records before 1919, try the Probate Court, church records, cemetery inscriptions, or Family Bible records.

Birth certificates cost $25 for the first copy and $5 for each extra copy. Death certificates are the same. Under O.C.G.A. § 31-10-26, certified birth certificates are limited to the person named, parents, grandparents, adult siblings, adult children, spouses, or legal guardians. Death certificates have fewer restrictions. The Georgia Virtual Vault has death certificates from 1919 to 1943 online at no cost. FamilySearch.org also has Georgia death records from 1914 to 1943.

Research Tips for Glynn County

Start with what you know and work backward. Census records are a great next step. Federal census data from 1820 to 1940 is available at the Georgia Archives in Morrow. The 1790, 1800, 1810, and 1890 censuses for Georgia were destroyed. Use Glynn County tax digests for those gaps. The 1850 census was the first to name every person in each household.

Pre-1900 Glynn County records are on microfilm at the Georgia Archives. For records after 1900, contact the courthouse in Brunswick. The Archives is at 5800 Jonesboro Road, Morrow, GA 30260, open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Free Ancestry.com and FamilySearch access is in the search room.

• Check cemetery records when vital records are missing
• Search church records for baptisms, marriages, and burials
• Look at colonial land grants and headright records at the Georgia Archives
• Review estate records when birth or death dates are unknown
• Search the Vanishing Georgia photo collection for historical images

Glynn County boundary changes are less of an issue than with newer counties since it was one of the original eight. Still, the Virtual Vault has "Georgia Counties: Their Changing Boundaries" to help track where your ancestors were counted. Under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-71, copy fees are capped at 10 cents per page for standard public documents.

Note: The Georgia Archives search room has free access to Ancestry.com, FamilySearch, and Fold3 for researchers working on Glynn County genealogy.

Cities in Glynn County

Glynn County includes the city of Brunswick and the communities of St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island. All genealogy records are maintained at the Glynn County Probate Court and Superior Court Clerk in Brunswick. No cities in Glynn County meet the population threshold for individual city pages.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Glynn County along the Georgia coast and inland. Families in this area often crossed county lines, so checking neighboring records is a good idea.